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Top 10 Marvel Villains: Honorable Mentions

Art by Alex Garner

Tony Masters, Taskmaster- An assassin with photographic reflexes, Taskmaster is among the most skilled rogues in the Marvel Universe. He originally opened up an underground training academy for henchmen because he didn’t want to actually fight super heroes and law enforcement. After this ploy was quashed by the Avengers, he decided to become a mercenary himself, becoming one of the most successful assassins on the market. He was even entrusted by Norman Osborn to become the head of his Initiative as well as a membet of his Cabal during the Dark Reign. He later became a head of A.I.M. He is not as ruthless as other’s in his business, and he has one of the coolest costumes of all the rogues of Marvel Comics. His sense of humor and flippancy in regards to his job are what earn him an honorable mention.

Art by John Gallagher

Brock Rumlow, Crossbones- Ironically trained by Taskmaster in his academy, Crossbones became Johann Schmidt’s most trusted assassin. He became an avid proponent of the Red Skull’s Nazi ideology. He clashed with Captain America on many occasions and participated in his assassination after the Superhero Civil War. He was later recruited for Luke Cage’s Thunderbolts based out of the Raft superhuman prison. He proved unruly and has since joined up with the Red Skull once more. He is a brutal and remorseless monster, and I find him delightfully villainous. He is another of one of those basic thug villains I love so much.

Art by Lan Medina

Jack O’Lantern- Raised by the Crime Master and coaxed into killing his own parents, Jack O’Lantern became one of the most brutal killers in the world, known for scooping out the brains of his victims and placing a candle in their skull like his namesake. He claimed to have killed all the previous users of his name. He became the principle foe of Flash Thompson aka Agent Venom. The two fought brutally on many occasions until he was finally incarcerated. He would alter be recruited by Magneto in his quest to bring down the Red Skull. He has a grisly sense of humor and is fond of taking care of his business personally, and these are the qualities that attract me to Jack.

Art by Tom Grummett

Zebediah Killgrave, Purple Man- An abominable monster whose origins allegedly trace back to the Soviet era, the Purple Man has the capability of controlling almost anyone with a simple command. He often uses these abilities to feed his nymphomaniac compulsions, raping countless women and siring a myriad of offspring from them. He has killed numerous people on a simple whim with the slightest expenditure of his power. He clashed often with Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Thunderbolts. He notably took control of the super heroine Jewel aka Jessica Jones for a time, and she has since become able to resist his compelling power. He is a vile monster with unnervingly boundless charisma and twisted humor, and this earns him the guiltiest of all my honorable mentions.

Art by Mike Deodato Jr.

Emil Blonsky, Abomination- Created by the same gamma blast that made the Incredible Hulk, Emil Blonsky was a Soviet spy turned lumbering monster. Unlike the Hulk, Blonsky was trapped in his amphibious form, and he mutated further over time. He clashed with Banner on many occasions, hating him more than anyone else. He was eventually killed by the Red Hulk aka Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Though Rick Jones aka A-Bomb became a similar monster due to the Leader’s Intellegencia, a mindless recreation of Abomination was fostered by other foes of the Hulk. His tragic story as well as the immense creativity of his visual design are what earns the Abomination his place on this list.